STAFFA. GENERAL DESCRIPTION'. 5 



A considerable portion of the precipitous face of 

 Staffa presents a columnar disposition. The highest 

 point of this face lies between the great cave and the 

 Boat cave, and is, by the plummet, 112 feet from the 

 high water mark.* It becomes lower in proceeding 

 towards the west, the height near Mackinnon's cave 

 being only eighty-four feet. From this it extends with 

 some variation to the north, where it subsides into a 

 flat rocky shore elevated but a few feet above the 

 sea. Here it again rises, and after continuing precipitous 

 for a short space, declines into that irregular rocky 

 shore on which the small beaches forming the landing- 

 place are situated ; whence it once more gradually 

 rises, till, becoming again vertical beyond the crooked 

 cave, it returns to the point from which we commenced. 



But it is necessary to describe more particularly the 

 details of the columnar forms, since in these consists 

 the chief interest of this beautiful spot. The columns 

 in the neighbourhood of the landing-place lie in so 

 many different directions, that a correct notion of them 

 can scarcely be given even by a drawing. They are 

 in some places erect, in others oblique, and in a third 

 horizontal ; while to each of these several positions they 

 sometimes add the further circumstance of curvature : 

 the chief collection of horizontal columns has a concavity 

 turned upwards. Where they are irregularly placed 

 they are generally of less symmetrical and decided forms 

 than those which constitute the great southern face 

 of the island ; while they are also of a smaller size, 



want of practice, and from want of habit in estimating the true value of 

 marketable commodities : it is the general fault of those to whom com- 

 merce is not familiar. 



* I beg here to remind the reader, that the perpendicular measure- 

 ments are all subject to considerable variation from the varying state 

 of the tide as well as that of the swell ; and that even high water 

 and low water mark are themselves variable, according to the time 

 of the moon or season of the year. 



